


poems don't always have to rhyme

by surviving_and_thriving



Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany), SKAM (France), SKAM (Italy), SKAM (Netherlands), SKAM (Norway), SKAM (Spain), WTFock | Skam (Belgium)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi, and he does the ib programme bc i am stupid and american, bc i will never forgive the cancellation, but i too did ib and understand it, lucas moves to antwerp for reasons, suspension of disbelief pls?, this deal heavily with mental illness, this has no real timeline bc i cried trying to figure it out, this is my take on lucas vdh's season, we flipping the script here babes, you can pry the crossover verse out of my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22541734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surviving_and_thriving/pseuds/surviving_and_thriving
Summary: When Lucas moved to Antwerp for school, he didn't know exactly what he expected to find, but six alternate versions of himself were definitely not on the list.title is taken from "Moonrise Kingdom"
Relationships: Cristina "Cris" Soto Peña/Joana Bianchi Acosta, Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant, Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen, Lucas van Der Heijden/Daan Visser, Lucas van der Heijden/Original Male Character, Matteo Florenzi/David (Druck), Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta, Sander Driesen/Robbe IJzermans
Comments: 36
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, hi y'all! I'm both very nervous and excited to post this because it's the first time I've ever really said, "Eh, fuck it," to canon before, so I hope I get it right. 
> 
> This is heavily, HEAVILY inspired by aletterinthenameofsanity's amazing universe and stories (https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550230), which do exactly what I'm doing, but probably much better, so go and check it out for sure!!
> 
> Just a few notes before y'all get into it:  
> \- Lucas is doing the IB programme (which I did in the US, so I'm basing his experience off mine, including all the classes he takes: HL Bio, HL Language A: Literature, HL Chemistry, SL Math, SL Environmental Science, SL English, he does his EE in Environmental Science and his CAS project involves installing water bottle refill fountains to promote the use of reusable water bottles)
> 
> \- I kinda gave up on trying to figure out a timeline/ages but Lucas VDH is in his first year of the diploma programme (17 years old) and his Even is a year older (18) and in his last year of the same school Noor goes to (except he is doing dance, not art); everyone else is older (Robbe is in his last year of high school, Sander is in art school with David and Joana, Even and Eliott and Nico have graduated, Marti and Isak and Cris and Lucas are in a science Uni program, and Matteo is in culinary school)
> 
> \- Everyone lives in the same apartment complex in Antwerp (moved here for various reasons and met one another because the Universe is funny like that) 
> 
> \- When Druck was coming out, I remember a bunch of people talking about how Matteo was acting more like Even than Iska and I was really hoping for a role switch kinda thing to happen. Even though it didn't that idea has stuck with me and I want to play with it, so here we go :)

Look, Lucas knows that he is a lot. He knows that he is the reason Kes and Isa broke up; he knows he was too much for his mom to deal with; he knows that, deep down, he was the reason his dad left; he _knows_. 

So he did what he thought was best and left. He applied to the Antwerp International School ( _why not_ , he asked himself, _he’d always wanted to travel and he spoke the language, plus it wasn't too terribly far away from home, he could go home if his mom needed help_ ), got accepted, and got a scholarship. The scholarship, while very generous, covering full tuition and fees, unfortunately, did not cover housing. So, the next thing he was doing was sending out emails asking for help with housing.

When he had been accepted into the school, the administration had sent him a list of people in Antwerp who were willing to host an international student. For the past few weeks, Lucas had been steadily going through the entire list, emailing them asking if they had space for him to stay. 

While a few of them had seemed hopeful, they were all asking too much money for rent. Lucas had pretty much resigned himself to being homeless when he had gotten an email back from one of the potential hosts.

_Lucas,_

_My name is Niccolò Fares. I live in a flat with my boyfriend, Martino Rametta, and we have a spare room that we are willing to rent out to you. However, you have to be comfortable with the LGBTQ+ community, as we, and many of our friends, are part of the community._

_If that is something you are not accepting of, please disregard this email. If not, you can text me and we can talk about prices and such._

_Let us know!_ _  
_ _Nico_

Below the email, Niccolòhad attached a few pictures of the room, a map of how to get to the school from the flat, pictures of two men Lucas assumed were Niccolò and Martino, and his number.

Lucas had eagerly texted the man and, upon finding out the price of rent (significantly cheaper than anywhere else), had accepted the offer.

Over the weeks leading up to his move, he had met the two men over facetime ( _Oh God, just call us Nico and Marti, please_ , Marti had asked), been added into far too many group chats with people he didn’t even know yet, and had said goodbye to the boys.

Kes had gone with him to the bus station, pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, and threatened to physically manifest in Lucas’ new room if he didn’t text him every single day. Lucas had hugged him back and pretended that he wasn’t crying.

Lucas knows it was for the best that he was leaving. He was toxic and ruined any relationship. He needed to start over.

As the bus pulls up to the station in Antwerp after only two hours, the anxiety really starts to set in. However, when he looks out the window he can see Nico and Marti waiting for him, surrounded by several other people, holding what Lucas can only describe as a welcome home poster bearing his name.

When Lucas steps off the bus, he is immediately surrounded by the people around Nico and Marti, all of whom were asking if the trip was ok, if he needed any help with his bags, if he needed anything.

Lucas guesses he must have looked pretty overwhelmed because Marti clears his throat and speaks up.

“Guys, guys, let him breathe,” Marti says, smiling at him.

There is another sea of moving people, but this time they back up. When they got far enough away, a line designated by Marti holding his arm up to corral them, they look at Lucas with expectant eyes.

“Um,” he starts, very eloquently, “My name is Lucas van der Heijden and I’m from the Netherlands. I moved here to go to school.”

“We have another Lucas,” says one of the boys, pointing at a boy with obscenely large hair, “So would you mind if we called you VDH or Lucas VDH? van der Heijden is so long,” he continued, laughing.

“That’s rich, coming from you, Bech Næsheim,” says another one of the boys.

“Um,” Lucas replies, more than a little confused.

“Let’s help Lucas with his stuff and then we can head back to the flat for dinner and some more formal introductions. Plus, we left Sander and Eliott alone with the food, so I think we should hurry,” Nico says, reaching for one of the two bags Lucas had brought with him.

Almost everyone’s faces blanch at the thought, and though Lucas doesn’t know who Eliott or Sander is, he is a little worried about dinner.

“That’s it,” he says when Nico looks at him, his eyes asking if there were more bags.

Nico, thankfully, doesn’t look at him with pity, simply nodding, and begins walking towards a car parked next to the bus station.

The group of people, there were seven of them plus Lucas’ luggage, manage to cram into one car in a way that was neither comfortable nor legal, but somehow still felt safe. 

Lucas curled up on the ground, pressed up against a boy who introduced himself as Robbe with a hand outstretched as far as he could get from his position.

“Sorry about all this,” Robbe laughs while everyone gets settled in the car, “Even is really the only one who bothered to both learn how to drive and get his license transferred to Belgium.”

“It’s fine,” Lucas replies, “Are you not all from Belgium?”

He knows that Nico and Marti were from Italy, but he had assumed that everyone else was from here.

“Well,” Robbe says, “Sander and I are from here, but Matteo and David are from Germany, Cris and Joana, they aren’t here right now, but you’ll meet them at dinner, are from Spain, Lucas and Eliott are from France, and Even and Isak are from Norway.”

“Did you all meet when you moved here, or-”

“Yeah, we all sort of ended up in the same apartment complex and just sort of bonded of shared experiences.”

There is a snort of laughter from above Lucas and he cranes his neck to see who is jammed in the seat above him.

“Matteo,” comes the answer, along with a hand.

Lucas manages to get his hand up to shake it.

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too, Lucas. I would say it isn’t always like this, but that would be a lie.”

Lucas laughs a little, before bracing himself as the car jolts to a stop.

“Holy shit, Even, a little warning next time?” Robbe yells to the front of the car.

There’s some more laughter before Matteo looks down at Robbe.

“You can’t see him, Robbe, but Even is flipping you off. Anyway, we’re back and I need you to get out before I do, so I don’t step on your face.”

Lucas scoots out, followed closely by Robbe and Matteo, before circling to the trunk of the car to get his bags. 

When Even opens the back door, Lucas is greeted with the sight of Marti being absolutely crushed by his two bags.

“Oh my god,” he smiles, “There wasn’t anything breakable in those. You could have sat on them, not under them.”

“Now he tells me,” Marti jokes, before throwing one of the bags at him. Lucas catches it and pulls the other one off him.

The group heads inside, before facing a rather precarious staircase. 

Nico looks at him and shrugs.

“The elevator broke, like, a month ago and the landlord doesn’t give a shit about us because we’re mostly Uni students, so he hasn’t bothered to fix it. The stairs really aren’t that bad, but don’t put too much weight against the railings. We’re only two floors up.”

“Yeah, well, we’re four floors up, so consider yourself lucky,” said the one who had been driving the car, Even, Lucas’s brain supplies.

“Get fucked. We’re the first floor,” Matteo responds, slinging an arm around a boy with a nose ring, heading for one of the doors on the entry floor, everyone but Marti and Nico following them.

“Anyway,” Marti interjects, “Let’s head up to our place, so you can put your stuff down, then we’ll come back down for dinner.”

“I know it’s a lot, Lucas. I know we’re a lot,” Nico says, “But we are really happy and excited to have you here. Welcome to Antwerp!”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These first two chapters are, like, scene-setting, so I figured I'd post them together. The next few will take a hot sec for me to write, but they are on the way :)
> 
> Ok, I have decided that this is taking place at the beginning of 2020, much like the time we are in now. Lucas has transferred between semesters, so he didn't miss any school, and, with him being at the beginning of the IB DP, it is still allowed (at my school, juniors could transfer in, seniors could not)
> 
> This is still sort of a set-up chapter, but I promise it's gonna get more fun soon :) Lucas' Even shows up in the next chapter!
> 
> Thank y'all for the kind words on my first chapter :))) ily y'all a lot

Lucas had very specifically chosen to move in with Nico and Marti a few weeks before school started so he could get the hang of living in an entirely new country. Before moving in with them, he thought that the hardest part would be adjusting to a totally new culture. Afterward, however, he could confidently say that, no, the hardest part was keeping up with who everyone was in this massive friend-group that had seemingly adopted him.

But he  _ was  _ learning.

He knew Matteo and David. He knew that, while Matteo could cook like no one’s business, he almost always ate some variation of spaghetti or grilled cheese. He knew David had gotten his sister to pierce his nose in a school bathroom his first year of high school and that it had bled for a day and David had thought he was dying. He knew that Matteo always wore at least three layers of clothes to any outdoor event and still somehow managed to be cold and having to steal David’s jacket. He knew that Matteo was the best person to smoke with, because he didn’t get rambly and talk, he just let them both sit in silence and think.

  
  


He knew Robbe and Sander, mostly because they were the closest to his age. He knew that Sander liked to spray paint and that Sander liked Robbe (because who  _ hadn’t  _ seen that big-ass mural). He knew Robbe liked to tag along while Sander sprayed his tag on walls because, one time, Robbe had spat out a wad of neon pink and, while Lucas thought that was a sign of some early death, Robbe had just sighed and turned to start yelling at Sander about inhaling his spray paint again. He knew that Robbe helped Sander bleach his hair (and was remarkably good at it) and had gotten dangerously close to letting Robbe smear the stuff on his own head.

He knew Lucas and Eliott, knew that their first time had been while they were covered in paint (seriously, what the _ fuck _ ), knew that Lucas wanted to cut his hair, but would conveniently forget every time Eliott ran his fingers and tugged a bit. He knew that Eliott listened to the worst music in the world, with the one exception being Lucas’ piano playing. He knew Lucas had dubbed himself the OG Lucas and had called dibs on the name (Lucas was okay with going by VDH, he loved nicknames). He knew Eliott had given everyone food poisoning the one time he cooked dinner, but would vehemently deny it when confronted.

He knew Joana and Cris, that latter of whom he recognized because one of her TikToks had gone viral a few weeks ago, which was weird to explain to her when his mouth had dropped open when he was introduced. He knew that Joana had once dyed her hair so frequently that the edges had just up and broken off. He knew that Cris had worn heels every day for a month when she was in high school, just so she could run in them if she even needed to (and she was  _ fast _ , having demonstrated this talent one night). He knew that they lived on the top floor of the apartment complex, seven whole flights of scary stairs up, and most of the time, if they were over at someone else’s place, ended up sleeping on the couch, both of them crammed into a tiny space.

He knew Isak and Even, knew that they were the first ones to move to Antwerp, to connect the whole motley group. He knew that, while Even was much taller, Isak was the one who would swing first in a fight, knew that, of the fights Isak had been in, he’d won most of them. He knew that Even wasn’t a half-bad singer, but Isak was better. He knew that Isak tended to not brush his hair, opting instead to simply shove a hat over the messy curls, but that he always regretted it when Even would try to run his fingers through Isak’s hair. He knew that both of them had absolutely horrible self-preservation skills, choosing instead to put the other first, which resulted in some pretty funny arguments between the two (Lucas’ favorite one that he heard was the argument over who deserved to get the last bit of milk to have cereal for breakfast - it had ended when they had both stomped over to Nico and Marti’s place and asked to borrow more milk so they could  _ both _ have cereal).

He knew Marti and Nico, obviously, knew how they met in Rome and moved here for art and medical school knew that Marti got up early to put a pot of coffee on before passing out again on the couch. He knew that Nico was almost always up before Marti, but waited for him to put the coffee on because he liked to come out and fondly stare at his sleeping boyfriend in the early morning sun ( _ that _ had been a moment Lucas felt was a bit too private for him to see, so now he waited a good twenty minutes after he heard Marti moving to go out into the living room). He knew that Marti studied with sticky notes stuck to the wall and that Nico would steal them and add little drawings of whatever term was on it.

He also knew how hard some days were for Nico. He could hear when there were bad nights, and Nico would spend the whole night pacing or drawing or watching movies with the volume on low, just staring at the screen. He could see when there were bad days when Nico wouldn’t come out of his and Marti’s room and Marti split his time between being a good host and a good boyfriend. Lucas always tried to make himself scarce on those days; he wanted Nico to have Marti all to himself.

Lucas could see how hard those days were on both his friends and he did everything in his power to not cause any issues or any extra stress. He never left a mess in the kitchen, cleaning his dishes right after using them, and any other dishes in the sink. He picked up groceries when he noticed things were getting low, sometimes deciding that food money was more important than bus money. Nothing of his left his designated areas: his shoes were always tucked against the corner by the door, his toothbrush always in its little holder, his clothes always hung up and neat.

Once when Matteo had stopped by to grab something from the pantry, he had made a comment that it didn’t even look like Lucas lived there. Lucas knew it was probably a subtle dig, but he chose to take it as a compliment; his presence was causing no undue stress for Nico and Marti.

And if there are sometimes days when Lucas can’t make himself get out of bed, choosing instead to burrow deep, deep under his covers and sleep until he feels better, no one needs to know. He’s practically a ghost in the flat during the day, anyway, so no one really notices if he doesn’t emerge until dinner. But it’s okay, it’s been happening his whole life and he knows how to deal with it.

And if there are nights when he can’t sleep, even though he’s trying, begging his eyes to just stay shut, no one needs to know about that either. He gets good at sneaking out the front door, closing it  _ just so  _ so that it doesn’t creak. In the first few weeks, he gets really familiar with the streets that surround the apartment complex. But it’s okay, it’s been happening his whole life and he knows how to deal with it.

Sometimes, he’ll swing back and forth between being trapped in his bed and bursting with energy so fast that his brain can’t keep up, and he’ll float around in a daze for a few hours until he snaps back. This is a new thing, but it never lasts long, and most of the time he just waits it out in his room, unaware of the passage of time, until his brain finally finds his body again and he realizes he’s been staring at the wall for three hours. 

He’s having one of those weird things on his last weekend before classes start.

Everyone is supposed to start showing up at Marti and Nico’s flat in a few minutes and Lucas is nowhere near ready.

“Lucas,” Nico’s voice came through the door, “you almost ready? Matteo just texted to see if we could come help carry food down.”

Lucas looks down at his phone and, yeah, there was a text there. Huh.

He stands up, shaking his hands as if it will shake off that feeling that’s been pulling his head towards the clouds.

“Yeah,” Lucas responds, “be out in a second!”

He frantically runs to his closet and pulls out whatever shirt is on top and whatever pants are nearest. He combs his hands through his hair and while he doesn’t look his best, at least he doesn’t look like he’s been awake for two days straight without leaving his bed.

He opens his door and heads for the front door but stops when he hears a wolf-whistle from behind him.

He turns, one eyebrow raised, to see Marti lounging on one of the couches, scrolling through Netflix.

“Interesting outfit you’ve put together, Lucas,” is Marti’s only response to Lucas’ raised eyebrow.

Lucas turns to look at himself in the big living room mirror and, yeah, wow, he looks nuts. He had grabbed a truly horrendous tropical-print top he must have stolen from Jens and some striped pants. 

“Just trying to unseat Matteo as the most unfashionable one,” Lucas jokes back.

“I would  _ never _ be caught dead in that, Lucas, and you know it,” Matteo responds as he came through the door Nico held open, balancing two pans in each hand.

“You never know, you could be hiding any number of awful tropical shirts under those, like, triple XL shirts you wear,” Lucas replies as he heads out the door.

“Oh my god! Just go help David with the rest of the food, bitch.”

Lucas smiles as he begins the trek downstairs, the rest of that feeling finally, finally lifting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what y'all think! I am a slut for comments and go feral every time I see one :)


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah!! Chapter three already! It really means so much to me that you're all enjoying this so far :)
> 
> Notes for this chapter:  
> \- I have never been to Antwerp (and probably won't ever get the chance to, sadly) so the IB school Lucas goes to is based on my own IB school and, as I have mentioned, Lucas is doing my same schedule of classes (because I'm more familiar with them), so relish in this little glimpse into the hellscape that was my high school experience 
> 
> \- An IB DP coordinator is kinda like a guidance coordinator in that they help you plan all your classes and apply to college/uni, but they also monitor your CAS hours and project (which are sort of like required service and activity hours) and also serve as a place to go when IB gets a little too overwhelming (in this story, she'll probably serve the same purpose the nurse did in the og SKAM)
> 
> \- HL (higher level) classes span 2 years and are much more in-depth and SL (standard level) classes span 1 year and are similar to AP (for us US-based folks); to get the IB diploma, you take 3 HL classes, 3 SL classes, and theory of knowledge (TOK) and have to get certain scores on each test (which you take at the end of your first year, SL, or second year, HL); Lucas is taking 4 SL classes so that he can screw up on one and still be okay (it's what I did haha)
> 
> \- I use a lot of acronyms that relate to IB, so if any of them get confusing/you don't know what they mean, be sure to yell at me in the comments so I can fix it :)

Sitting across from the DP coordinator for his new school, Lucas has never felt so small. He is well aware of the fact that he didn’t do IB at his school back in the Netherlands, but he’s already been accepted here, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Right?

The DP coordinator looks up from his schedule, makes eye contact with him, looks back at the schedule, and sighs. 

“You know, Lucas,” she begins, “It’s very unusual for someone who plans to pursue a career in science to take a Literature course as one of their HL classes. I see that you’ve indicated an interest in both HL Biology and Chemistry; wouldn’t you want to take another similar class? Maybe Physics?”

“No, ma’am. While I don’t plan on a career in Literature, it’s something that I just really love to do. I love science, yes, but writing is what really makes me happy. So, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to stay in the Literature class,” Lucas responds.

“Alright. Now, back at your old school, you were registered in a pre-calc course, correct?”

Lucas nods in response.

“Okay,” she continues. “Before our students enroll in SL Math, which you’ve indicated is one of the classes you want to take, we like them to have completed Pre-Cal. You’ll be placed in our Pre-Calc class here, and you can take SL Math next year. This means that this year, you’ll take the tests for SL Environmental Science, Psychology, and English and, next year, you’ll take HL Literature, Biology, and Chemistry, as well as SL Math. You’ll also be placed in the first year of Theory of Knowledge for this year and you’ll do the second part next year. Is that okay?”

He nods again.

“Other than that, your schedule looks good,” she slides a piece of paper with his class times and locations listed on it across her desk. “Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, transferring in the middle of your first year will mean that you have some catch-up and make-up work to do, so be sure to ask your teachers about it when you speak with them. Okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

He stands up, grabs his bag, and moves to leave, but she stops him.

“Lucas, there should be a student waiting to give you a tour of the school outside. Her name is Lina Martin. She’ll take you around the campus and show you to your first class. Have a nice day!”

With that, she turns to her computer and begins to type away at some official-looking document as if Lucas wasn’t even there.

He nods, once again, to himself and walks out of the office.

As promised, sitting outside of the DP coordinator’s office is a girl, who did not at all look like she wanted to be there.

When Lucas steps out of the office, she looks up at him, pops a bubble with her bubblegum, sighs, and stands up.

“Hey, I’m Lina. Welcome to the Antwerp International School. I hope your first day is going just grand,” she states, sounding as if she is reading from a script.

In reply, Lucas just gives her a half-smile.

She sighs, again, and beckons Lucas to follow her. She speeds through the entire school, which was small, only three floors, an outdoor courtyard where the second-year IB kids, and only the second-years, Lina stated, ate lunch, a lunchroom where everyone else ate, and a beat-up gym.

The first floor hosted the gym, lunchroom and, as Lina pointed out in her monotone voice, the dance studio. The school offered IB Dance as a subject and some of the other local schools sent their dance students to choreograph for the IB kids. There was, apparently a showcase each semester, but Lucas had missed the previous one, so he’d have to wait until May.

The second floor was for science and math classes and was where the labs were located. The third was for languages and history.

Lucas was deposited on the third floor outside the Literature classroom twenty full minutes before the class was scheduled to begin. 

“You’ve got no questions, right? Right. Okay, cool,” Lina says. “If you do, text me.”

She grabs Lucas’s arm, scrawls her number in blue Sharpie on the back of his hand, and dashes off without another word, leaving Lucas feeling a little lost.

He tentatively pushes open the door and is almost immediately accosted by a teacher yelling at him.

“Come in! Come in! You must be Lucas, welcome!”

The teacher pulls him into the classroom and begins unloading books from her desk into his arms.

“Now, we’ve already read  _ Frankenstein _ ,  _ Candide _ ,  _ A Chronicle of Death Foretold _ ,  _ Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks _ , and  _ Their Eyes Were Watching God _ , so I expect you to get these read as soon as possible, as they will be a part of your cumulative presentation at the end of this year.”

“I’ll get them read,” he promises, peeking over the top of his new stack of books.

“We’re about to start ‘Mother Courage and Her Children,’ which is a play, so, pick a seat and get ready for class. I don’t expect you to participate today, but for all other classes, I’d like some talking, okay?”

Lucas nods.

“Alright! I’m Ms. Gaens. Let me know if you have any questions.”

The rest of the morning passes in a blur of lecture and lab and new information being shoved down his throat. Over winter break, Lucas had forgotten just how  _ much _ school was. And, god, he was not prepared.

When the bell rings, signaling lunch, Lucas follows the crowd of students towards the lunch area. However, as they get closer, Lucas notices that many of them are peeling off towards the courtyard and, as Lila had scared him, he didn’t want to sit somewhere first-years were not allowed. 

He changes direction and walks into the lunchroom. Once inside, he stops dead in his tracks, before aborting the mission and heading to the gym instead. He knew no one in the entire lunchroom, other than Lina, and from the middle finger she gave him, he knew not to sit with her.

He was going to eat lunch in the gym. By himself. Yeah, this is fine.

Once in the gym, he climbs up the bleachers, settling down at the top where there was a little more room. 

He pulls out his sandwich and phone, scrolling through Instagram and responding to Snapchats. He has a few messages from the boys and other friends from back home, as well as a few from his new friends here. Marti had sent him a nice, encouraging message, Matteo had sent him a picture of Kermit with several hearts photoshopped on him and Even had sent him a solid six lines of text of simply various hearts.

Smiling, he responds to everyone and returns to scrolling through social media, hopping from one app to another.

The bell rings, telling everyone to go back to class, but Lucas remains sitting.

He is lucky enough to have a break after the lunch period and isn’t too terribly worried about being anywhere on time, as he has plenty of time to figure out where his next class is. 

He relaxes against the wall behind him and closes his eyes. It’s already been such a long day and it’s only half over. 

Lucas is halfway to sleep when the door to the gym slams open, jolting him from whatever semi-sleep he was just in. He flails around looking for his phone, irrationally afraid that he somehow fell asleep and slept through the entire rest of the day, but his phone shows him that he still has fifteen minutes left before he needs to leave.

He sits up some more, almost groaning at the action, because,  _ wow _ , Lucas thinks,  _ when was the last time he had worked out? _

Once up, he looks over the edge of the bleachers to see who had walked in and if he needed to clear out. 

The person isn’t an administrator, like Lucas thought, or some sports team. No, the person is someone Lucas’ age and,  _ holy shit _ , Lucas thinks, he’s the most attractive person he’s ever seen.

The mystery person is pretty tall, Lucas can tell, even from his spot way up high. The mystery man has tan skin and black curls that hang down around his face. He looks a little like Kes.  _ Oh god _ , Lucas thinks,  _ I have a type _ .

Unlike Kes, the guy is clean-shaven and has a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. He’s long and lanky and, as Lucas watches, slips on a pair of headphones and begins dancing.

Lucas doesn’t know what song the man is listening to, but he wishes he could hear it. The guy is swaying back and forth and jumping and moving. It’s the kind of dancing someone only does when they know they’re alone, just them and the music. 

He has his eyes closed and looks totally peaceful. 

Lucas thinks it may be the cutest thing he’s ever seen. He also thinks it’s a little creepy to be just sitting and watching.

Lucas begins to make his way back down the bleachers, trying to be quiet so he doesn’t disrupt the guy who is still in his own world.

Of course, because Lucas has the agility of a sentient rock, he slips on the last step and crashes to the ground, the sound echoing around the gym.

The guy startles, yanking off his headphones and spinning to face Lucas. Or where Lucas would be if he wasn’t face down on the ground, asking himself why he ever moved.

Lucas rolls over to stare at the ceiling and is met with the guy’s outstretched hand.

He takes it, pulling himself back up, and has to look up to the guy who helped him, because,  _ yeah, he’s tall _ .

“Um,” Lucas starts, “Thanks for that. Lost my balance.”

The guy just laughs.

“No problem. I’m Daan, by the way. Daan Visser. I come here to help with the dance classes, but I don’t go to school here. Even still, I haven’t seen you here before.”

“Lucas. Lucas van der Heijden,” Lucas responds. “I’m new. It’s my first day.”

“Way to make an impression then, Lucas. On me and the ladies.”

“What?”

Dann holds up their hands, which neither of them has dropped, and eyes the number written across the back.

“Oh, um, that was just-”

Dann just smirks and cuts him off.

“Want another?”

Lucas doesn’t even have time to form a complete sentence before Daan pulls out his own Sharpie, purple this time, and writes another number, under Lina’s number.

“I gotta get to class, but see you around, killer,” Daan says with a fucking wink,  _ Jesus _ , before heading off.

Lucas just stands in shocked silence, unable to move or really think until the bell startles him out of his stupor. 

He’s late for his next class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there he is, folks, my version of Lucas' Even :) lmk what you think!!


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all I am so sorry for straight-up dropping off the face of the planet. my swim team had our conference championships, so I was busy with that, then my professors decided that every. single. one. of them needed to give a paper or an exam (or both!) in the same week. I'm dying I haven't slept in years. don't be a biology major, kids
> 
> anyway, this is not my best work, but I needed some comfort, so I wrote the loml, Even, to be in this story a bit more bc I need him, y'all need him, Lucas needs him, everyone needs him
> 
> I am so sorry this is so bad, but I felt awful for deserting y'all for like three weeks, so here I am with my horrible gift 
> 
> as always, thank you all so much for the kind words on my last chapter. ily you all :) hope you enjoy

It took Lucas three entire days to work up the courage to put Daan’s number in his phone, but he had memorized it almost as soon as the ink dried on his hand.

But putting the number in his phone absolutely did not mean that Lucas had even thought about texting the other boy. That was a lie. He thought about it every day, but Lucas was well aware that Daan had given Lucas his number; the ball was in his court now and Lucas knew he needed to make a move. He was just scared.

It wasn’t until after one of the weekly dinners with the whole group that Lucas managed to gather the courage to text Daan. It had kind of been spur of the moment and, if Lucas was going to be honest with himself, would not have happened if he had actually sat down and thought about it.

Lucas had been sitting at the table, picking at his pasta, and had happened to look up as Robbe and Sander had been sharing food off each other’s plate. It had been gross and domestic and Lucas had just thought, _I want that_ , so he whipped out his phone and shot off a quick message to Daan.

_To: Daan Visser_

_hey :) this is lucas from school. sorry it took so long for me to text haha my phone was_ _  
__acting up_

It was a lie, but Lucas couldn’t say that he had been battling his crippling self-esteem issues and internalized homophobia for the past three days. A broken phone was a far better excuse. 

But now it was midnight and Lucas could _see_ that Daan had opened his message five whole minutes earlier and while the three dots that signaled that Daan was replying to his message had shown up twice, they had also disappeared twice.

And Lucas was losing his mind.

He threw his phone to the other side of his bed and lay flat, looking at the ceiling. This was the worst. He’d met the guy for a maximum of two minutes. His heart shouldn’t feel like it is beating out of his chest over a simple text message.

His phone dings, the sound signaling that he has received a message, and he lunges for his phone so fast that he overshoots and ends up on the floor.

It isn’t a message from Daan. Instead, it’s a text in the big group chat, called, because Nico never answered his messages, “someone tell nico to unmute this.” It’s from Even.

_Even to: someone tell nico to unmute this_

_is anyone up rn? i have a frankly ridiculous amount of energy and isak took so much_ _  
__melatonin earlier so he’s OUT and i am bored_

Normally, a text like that would freak Lucas out; he worries a lot about his friends. They had been pretty transparent about everything that everyone struggles with, so he is well aware of what having a bunch of energy at night means for Even and what having to resort to taking melatonin means for Isak. But he also knows that they’re both mostly in control of their health, so he doesn’t worry too much.

He still types out a response, wanting Even to have some company. Plus, Lucas needs a distraction from the “read: 12:09 a.m.” that stares at him when he looks at his message to Daan.

_Lucas to: someone tell nico to unmute this_

_i’m up. what do you want to do?_

_Even to: someone tell nico to unmute this_

_come play wii_

_we have justdance_

_i need to show off how good i am at that weird ra ra rasputin song_

_Lucas to: someone tell nico to unmute this_

_on my way up_

_Even to: someone tell nico to unmute this_

_wait lucas why are you awake_

_Lucas to: someone tell nico to unmute this_

_a bad bitch never sleeps_

_also school_

Lucas slips on his shoes and glances in his mirror. Gray sweatpants, a gray shirt, and gray shoes pretty much match his mood, so he shrugs and heads to Even and Isak’s place.

He hesitates before he knocks on the door, wary of waking Isak, but then remembers that Even had suggested JustDance, which was not a quiet activity, so he figures that Isak must really be knocked out.

Even answers the door seconds after Lucas knocks, opening the door with a smile.

“Thank god, you’re awake. I worked the closing shift yesterday, so I slept most of today and now my sleep schedule is all kinds of fucked.”

“No problem, man. I was just working on an essay, just trying to catch back up.”

Even laughs at his words.

“Yeah, I know how rough it can be to transfer into a new school after the year has already started,” he pauses and looks at Lucas. “So let me know if you need any help, okay? Me, Nico, Joana, David, and Eliott have all been there before.”

Lucas smiles up at Even, ready to thank the older man, but before he can, a Wii Remote comes flying at his face.

“Up and at ‘em, VDH.”

“Wait,” Lucas responds, “you and Isak, two grown-ass men, own JustDance.”

“Of course not,” Even replies. “We own all eleven. And I’m going to beat you in every single one of them.”

Lucas pushes himself off the couch.

“I don’t know, Even. You’re getting up there in age. I’m still young and spry.”

Even doesn’t respond to Lucas’ jab, instead choosing the mature option of smacking Lucas in the head with a pillow, causing him to miss a movement.

The two of them played a multitude of dances, Even playing for fun and Lucas playing hard enough to tire himself out so he can forget about the text that Daan _still_ hasn’t responded to.

After an hour of Even thoroughly handing Lucas his ass on various dances, Even finally paused the game and turned to face Lucas with a serious look that seemed incredibly out-of-place on Even’s face.

“Okay, Lucas, sit down.”

Lucas sits down; Even wasn’t serious often so when he was, it was always something important.

“Look,” Even starts, “I’ve had enough experience in avoiding my emotions to know when someone else is avoiding theirs. And trust me, Lucas, it’s better to just talk it out now. So spill.”

Lucas simply stares back at Even and tried to hide the panic he knew was showing on his face.

Even gestures at him to go ahead, so Lucas closes his eyes and begins to talk.

And Lucas tells him everything. He talks about his mother back in the Netherlands, he talks about Kes and Isa, he talks about how alone he feels, he talks about how he doesn’t feel good enough to do the IB programme, he talks about eating lunch alone, he talks about not being able to sleep or sleeping for a whole weekend straight.

And he talks about Daan.

He doesn’t say who Daan is or if Daan is a boy or a girl. Lucas knows that literally all of his friends in Belgium are gay, but it still isn’t something he is totally sure of or ready to admit to anyone, not even himself.

But Lucas tells Even about getting Daan’s number, how it had taken him days to work up the to text him, then getting left on read.

At the end, Lucas just collapses back into the couch pillows.

And Even stares.

“Okay, no school today. You need a day off to reset.”

“Even, it’s literally going to be my second week, I can’t start skipping class already.”

“Nope. This is a mental health day. I’m declaring it. I’ll message the school and get your work and everything. I’ll even text Nico and Marti. You,” Even pointed at the couch, “stay right there. And go to sleep.”

Lucas rolled his eyes, but he did sink back onto the couch and close his eyes.

While Even did text Nico and Marti that Lucas was skipping school and staying in his apartment, he also sent a text out to the chat that was everyone but Lucas.

_Even to: In Every Universe_

_holy shit i think lucas is another one of us_

_well not for sure_

_but there’s a cute artsy person (he was intentionally vague ab the gender) at school he likes!!!!_

_so anyway i think we should throw a party and see what happens_

_bc we ALL know what happens at parties ;)_

_Matteo to: In Every Universe_

_wait really_

_Sander to: In Every Universe_

_can it be 1920s themed_

_i want to see robbe in suspenders and a hat_

_Even to: In Every Universe_

_hell yeah_

Lucas did not receive the texts from Even, but, when he woke up later that afternoon, still on the couch in Isak and Even's apartment and feeling more rested than he had in days, he had a far more exciting text on his phone.

_From: Daan_

_hey :) sorry for the late reply. where were you at school? i missed you at lunch_

Lucas could have screamed. He didn’t.

He did, however, smile at his phone for a stupid amount of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think :) comments always make me smile
> 
> also, it's the ~party scene~ next chapter hahahahaha get ready i got big plans


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all so sorry this has taken forever and a day. I lost my inspiration for a bit, but I'm like 99% I've got it back. Also, this whole COVID-19 has destroyed me. I'm not living with my parents right now, so I do not have a totally stable internet connection or reliable access to places and time to write, so I apologize in advance for how slow I've been on updating.
> 
> Thanks for sticking around, though. Y'all all mean so much to me and I hope that reading this can provide some break from the shitshow that is the world.
> 
> Also, this is pure escapism. COVID-19 does not have rights in this story. It does not exist.
> 
> I'm thinking of each and every one of you. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

Lucas didn’t know what ghost of confidence had crawled inside his head and made itself home, but he wasn’t complaining.

He had spent his brief respite from school texting Daan, and he was, like ninety percent sure Daan was flirting with him, and helping Even plan the party. It had been decided, pretty unanimously, that it would be hosted in Nico and Marti’s apartment since it had the biggest space. There was also the added benefit that the only other residents on their floor had taken a holiday, so the noise wouldn’t be as much as an issue.

Unfortunately, it meant that Lucas had, by default of living in the party space, had been roped into a fairly large role in the planning: decoration.

If he had been asked, and of course he hadn’t, he would have suggested giving the job to one of the more creatively-minded individuals, like David or Joana or even Cris. But no, Lucas, who had never actually tried to make something look nice in his life, was in charge of decorating the whole apartment. Oh no.

Lucas, who was standing at the shops looking at all the discounted New Year’s Party supplies, was feeling more than a little overwhelmed.

He pulls out his phone and calls Robbe. Logically, he knows Robbe is just as helpless as he is when planning, but if someone else was there to take the blame, it wouldn’t be as awful when it all turned out looking like shit later.

Plus, he, Robbe, and Sander were, objectively speaking, the closest friends he had made so far. They were pretty much the same age and both boys were really welcoming of Lucas. They never pressed when he called, just showed up and took him to a coffee shop or a park or wherever to distract him from whatever had made him call.

Robbe picked up on the second ring.

“Yeah, VDH? What’s up?”

“Please come help me. I don’t know if I’m supposed to get gold or silver tinsel to go with the black decorations. I don’t even know what tinsel is? Why does this matter?”

Lucas hears Robbe snort over the phone line.

“I know I don’t plan on being sober enough to remember the decorations, Lucas, so I really don’t know. Just get whatever you think is best. No one will care.”

“But,” and Lucas is actively whining now. He really doesn’t want to do this alone. “I don’t want to get the wrong stuff.”

“God,” he hears a scuffle on the phone and crosses his fingers, hoping Robbe is getting up to help. “You’re worse than Lucas when he wants something from Eliot.”

“So, you’re on your way?”

“Yeah, yeah. Be there in five.”

It actually takes Robbe almost fifteen minutes to get to the store, but Lucas thinks that Robbe  went slow on purpose, just to annoy him.

When the other boy actually does show up, they go and face the wall of decorations again.

Lucas just raises his eyebrows as Robbe lets out a low whistle.

“You weren’t lying, were you? This is ridiculous.”

Lucas just looks at Robbe, shaking his head, before they both start to laugh.

Between the two of them, it only takes them a full hour and far too much money, but when they exit, Lucas is sure that they have enough decorations to make the apartment look passable in low-light.

After lugging the bags to Nico and Marti’s apartment, Lucas says goodbye to Robbe, laughing as Robbe flips him off as he continues to hike up the stairs.

He gives up on searching for his keys with his hands full, instead choosing to kick the bottom of the door. He knows Marti will be in the living room, playing Fifa or some other game on their Xbox.

He is not expecting the door to be opened by Matteo, who is covered in more flour than Lucas thought they had in the apartment.

“Hey, Lucas. I’m making food for tonight. Nico is helping. It is not going well.”

Lucas just shakes his head. It’s always something with this group of people.

Instead of a greeting, he hoists the bags he is holding up higher.

“I brought the decorations.”

“Thank god!”

With the cry, Cris and Joana come skidding into view, also covered in flour and sliding around on the floor in fuzzy socks, both girls laughing loudly.

Lucas steps in the apartment, shooting Marti, who is sitting at the counter, a confused look.

Marti responds by holding up a beer. 

“We started drinking.”

Lucas looks at the clock. It’s still early in the afternoon, not yet time for dinner.

He raises his eyes, but Marti only shrugs, taking another sip of his beer.

Lucas laughs and grabs an unopened beer from the fridge.

“Lucas!”

He turns to where Cris has called him.

She waves him over.

“Lucas, these are so pretty. Come help us put them up.”

Over the next few hours, Lucas, Cris, Joana, and David, who showed up looking for Matteo an hour into the unofficial pregame, manage to get the apartment suitably decked out in sparkly gold and black.

Matteo managed to keep Nico from burning the kitchen down and, by the time the decorating is done, dinner and several snacks have been prepared.

The group eats, sobering up somewhat, before heading back to their respective apartments to get ready, with plans set to join back to pregame when everyone is ready.

Nico pulls Marti to their room and Lucas has lived in the apartment long enough to know what  _ that _ means, so he heads to his room and shoves his headphones on.

He ques up a random playlist, before turning to his closet to figure out what to wear. 

The group chat is lighting up with people sending possible outfits, with Even trying to get Isak to wear some bizarre shimmery top that Lucas doesn’t even want to know why they have and David desperately trying, and failing, to get Matteo to wear a pair of pants that fit properly.

Lucas laughs and provides his opinions and criticisms, before settling on an outfit that is more subdued than the others, but one he feels confident in.

When he sees that Marti and Nico have joined the conversation, he pulls his headphones off, before heading back out to the kitchen to get ready for the pregame.

Marti and Nico join him a few minutes later, both dressed ridiculously, but they pull it off in the way they always are.

Nico insists on pouring a round of shots just for them before everyone else arrives.

“Shh, Marti,” he says, when Marti protests, wanting to wait for everyone. “It’s an apartment shot, just for residents here. Plus, this is our first time officially drinking with Lucas.”

Lucas winks at Lucas as he throws back the shot, enjoying the sound of Nico laughing in the background.

The other two throw their shots back just as people start arriving.

Cris, Joana, Robbe, and Sander all arrive in one go, bringing various alcohols and in various states of drunkenness. 

Matteo and David show up next, soberer than everyone else, but by the way Matteo heads for the vodka, it won’t be that way for long.

Milan, Zoe, and Senne beat Isak and Even, but only barely.

Lucas and Eliot show up, followed by Robbe’s friends, and then Lucas loses track of all the people filtering in and out of the apartment.

He mills around the edges of the party, moving with the music, but never throwing himself on the dance floor, like Milan.

Lucas snorts into his punch, which someone definitely spiked with vodka because it tasted  _ bad _ , before moving towards the kitchen.

He spots the other Lucas and Eliot, Eliot running his hands through Lucas’ hair, resting his chin on Lucas’ head, and snatching drinks from Lucas’ drink when Lucas wasn’t looking.

Lucas is so bowled over by the longing he feels that he stops dead in his tracks, only moving when someone dressed entirely in shiny gold pushes past him.

Making a detour to his room, which has, thankfully, remained untouched by the party thus far, Lucas whips out his phone, possessed once again by the confidence ghost, and shoots Daan a text.

He wants what Lucas and Eliot have.

_ To: Daan Visser _

_hey :) there’s a party at my place tonight. i know it’s kinda late, but if you wanna come,_ _  
__i’d be happy to see you there_

The second he sends the text, he regrets it. 

He sounds  _ so  _ desperate. Which, Lucas guesses, he is. Seeing a happy couple,  _ hell _ living with a happy couple, is so hard when you are so painfully single.

His phone buzzes and Lucas doesn’t even want to look at what is probably a polite rejection.

_ From: Daan Visser _

_ already there :) _

Lucas frowns in confusion before his phone buzzes with another notification.

_ From: Daan Visser _

_ look up _

Lucas looks up from his phone and, somehow, Daan is there in his doorway.

“What?” Lucas laughs as he makes his way over to Daan.

Lucas wants to hug him, but he hesitates, not sure exactly what Daan is comfortable with at this point.

Daan smiles at his hesitation and pulls Lucas in for a hug.

“Missed you at school. Lunch is far too boring without you there.”

Lucas blushes and stutters out a question.

“What-, I mean. How are you here? Not that I’m mad or anything. Opposite of mad, really.”

“Noor invited me.”

Red-hot rage flashes through Lucas’ chest.  _ Of course _ , he was here with Noor. He danced and Noor did the lighting; they were perfect.

“You’re here with Noor?” and  _ wow _ Lucas hates how small his voice comes out.

Thankfully, Daan doesn’t mention it, just laughing.

“No. Noor just invited me. I’m not here with anyone.”

Lucas lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

He moves to ask another question, but Zoe pokes her head through the doorway.

“Lucas, come do shots with us,” she says, before disappearing as fast as she appeared.

Daan laughs, before gesturing to the door.

“You appear to have been summoned.”

Lucas walks towards the door before the confidence ghost takes over again and he grabs Daan’s hand.

“Come with,” he says, pulling Daan back into the party and towards where Zoe is pouring shots for people.

The two of them hang with Zoe for a bit, before migrating to a corner to talk.

Lucas can’t really hear Daan over the music and, by the way Daan is leaning in to hear Lucas’ responses to his questions, he can’t hear either.

Lucas nearly flinches when Daan leans right next to his ear.

“Is there somewhere quieter we can go? I can’t hear you at all.”

Lucas does his very best to not focus on the fact that he can feel Daan’s breath dance across his skin. He does not do a very good job.

He does manage to shake himself out of it before it becomes  _ too  _ weird. He hopes. 

Lucas is about to suggest just going to his room before an idea hits. 

“Hang on,” he says to Daan before heading into the crowd searching for Even.

He finds him lounging on the couch, an arm draped across Isak’s shoulders, who is engaged in a passionate debate with Robbe over, something? Maybe toothpaste? Lucas doesn’t bother listening in to find out.

“Hey, Even. Do you still have keys to the roof?”

Even furrows his brow in confusion, but nods, pulling his keyring out of his pocket.

“Why do you need them, Lucas?”   
  


“Um-”

Lucas isn’t exactly sure how to explain that the stars on the roof are the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen and he has an unrealistic romantic fantasy about looking at constellations with someone he loves and now he is  _ so close _ to making that happen.

Lucas glances back across the room to where Daan is standing, sipping on his drink.

Even follows his vision and his eyes light up.

“I see.”

Lucas flushes when he sees where Even is looking, but he takes the key when it is offered to him.

“Don’t stay out too late,” Even sings at him as Lucas leaves to get Daan.

Lucas flips him off, but he smiles as he pulls Daan towards the door, snagging a bottle of wine.

This was going to be perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi pals, in all seriousness, I want y'all to know that if I can help in any way (special fic request, prayer, vibe, whatever I can do to help), please let me know. this is awful for everyone and I want to do what I can to help ease y'alls struggles. As a writer, I can't do much, but I can provide a momentary distraction. For me, reading has always been the place of my escape and, right now, I am leaning heavily on the writers on this website that never fail to provide so much free reading. I want to do that for y'all.
> 
> Let me know if there is anything I can do for any of y'all.
> 
> I love you.
> 
> my tumblr: https://rabrooks34.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what y'all think of this and if I should continue it!
> 
> Again, please, PLEASE go check out aletterinthenameofsanity's fics (https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550230) because they are all so wonderfully written and really inspired me to write this. I'm essentially using the universe created in those fics to set my story in, so please read them!!! 
> 
> I've already got this whole ass fic planned out and I'm super excited to post each bit. I'm thinking it'll be around 11 or 12 parts, so let me know if you want more :)


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